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29 Jan, 15:00

Trump ‘shocks’ EU with his plans to seize Greenland — newspaper

According to the article, "the strategy in Europe and the UK so far has been to ignore the noise and focus on what Trump actually does," awaiting practical steps from him

BRUSSELS, January 29. /TASS/. Donald Trump's return to the White House has become a serious test for the EU, and the US leader's statement on the necessity of Greenland's accession to the US has shocked the association's leaders, Politico said.

"The situation is really serious and everyone thinks that the European reaction so far hasn’t been very credible. We’ve moved on from shock and denial, we’re now changing gear," a European diplomat told the newspaper. According to its information, on February 3, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU leaders will hold an informal meeting in Brussels to discuss Trump's plans on the Danish island.

According to Politico, "the strategy in Europe and the UK so far has been to ignore the noise and focus on what Trump actually does," awaiting practical steps from him. "On Greenland, however, which has vast mineral reserves and occupies a strategic position in the Arctic, the EU’s watch-and-wait approach to apparent US designs on the territory seems to be running out of road," the newspaper pointed out.

US President-elect Donald Trump stated on January 7 that Greenland should become part of the United States to ensure national security and defend against the Chinese and Russian threats. Trump had suggested in 2019 during his first presidential term that the US could buy Greenland, which is currently a part of Denmark and enjoys extensive autonomy. Both Greenlandic and Danish officials dismissed the proposal as preposterous.

Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. Since 1979, it has had the legal right to declare independence by referendum. The United States and Denmark are founding members of NATO. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Treaty. In accordance with this agreement, the United States committed to defend the island from external aggression. To this end, it established the Thule airbase there, the largest in the Arctic, where a US military contingent is deployed and strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons are stationed. In 2023, the airbase was renamed Pituffik Space Base, which performs the tasks of the missile warning system and control of the Arctic region.